12 years (well, technically 13)

When I was in kindergarten, I walked around looking at the 5^th graders.

I thought to myself, I’ll become one of them later.

When I was a 6^th grader, I was the youngest gladiator,

Fighting my way up the escalator, looking up to those big eight graders.

When I was a freshman, typing numbers into my calculator,

I was sitting across from a senior, who had no idea he was an indicator.

Indicating that I was almost there, almost grown up.

When I was a senior, I looked down at the line-up,

I thought to myself, “when did things speed-up”

Before I knew It I was walking across that stage all grownup.